Sleeping Village Reviews
  • REVIEWS & PREMIERES
  • ARCHIVES
    • OLDE REVIEWS
    • OLDE INTERVIEWS
    • OLDE FEATURES
    • OLDE PREMIERES
  • SUBMIT FOR REVIEW!

ON THE HORIZON: Domkraft - Seeds

2/21/2021

0 Comments

 
Welcome to ON THE HORIZON, our relentlessly infrequent feature wherein we discuss upcoming albums that have caught our sleep-encrusted eyes. Us Villagers are always on the lookout for the next best thing to wake us from slumber. On the docket today: the forthcoming full-length from Sleeping Village favorites Domkraft.

Picture
Written by: The Administrator

Look how easily we cast aside the tired present and gaze longingly into the future! I, for one, am getting mighty excited about the music that awaits just beyond the horizon, and Domkraft's forthcoming third effort is certainly the cause of some of said excitement.

Ah, Domkraft. Revel in their name. Back in the primordial days of this here blog, their stellar Flood found high ground on our 2018 Albums of the Year list, landing at a respectable #4 for that year. Presenting a remarkably well-executed blend of fuzz-worshiping doom and psychedelic wanderings, Flood remains one of my favorite doom records of the last five years. Their follow-up, Slow Fidelity​, somehow missed our rudimentary radar and thus missed year-end shenanigans, but it provides a similarly strong showing, leaning a little further than its predecessor into the ethereal realms. Needless to say, we were quite pleased to see evidence of a forthcoming third effort land heftily in the midst of our promo pit. Seeds will be released at the end of April, and the first single, "Dawn of Man," is available now for yer listening pleasure.


Read More
0 Comments

FRESH MEAT FRIDAY - Bandcamp Day Feb. 4th, 2021 Feat.  Aisteach, Space Caravan, Everson Poe, & Non Serviam

2/5/2021

0 Comments

 
On (regrettably infrequent) Fridays, a wagon arrives at the Sleeping Village’s crumbling gates, stuffed to the brim with our sustenance for the following week. Today is the day we must offload all this week's new and noteworthy music, and so, in the process, we thought it would be worthwhile to share some of our choice picks from this veritable mass of fresh meat. This is what we’ll be--and have been--listening to this week at the Village HQ. We hope you join us in doing so! 

As today is Bandcamp Friday, that sweet 15% cut will be directed back to artists. In other words: today is the day to support 'em!

​On the docket for today, Feb. 4th, 2020:
 
Aisteach, Space Caravan, Everson Poe, & Non Serviam

Picture
Aisteach - Polytron​-​ed
​(Independently Released)
​
Let's fire things off with a weird one, shall we? Taking its moniker from the Irish terminology for  "peculiar, queer, strange, unusual," 
Aisteach presents 
industrial noise at its most disturbing. To quote my comment over of Ye Olde Bandcamp: "Polytron-ed is a capital-E Experience. This abrasive industrial / grind / noise monstrosity feels simultaneously organic and mechanical, pulsing and pounding with energy." This is an EP that is difficult to listen to by benefit of its overtly creepy vocal samples and its generally oppressive atmosphere, but the sheer inaccessibility is all part of the intrigue. Polytron​-​ed is inventive in a way that we Villagers seldom encounter, and, as such, I'm super excited to hear whatever comes next.  

Find it on bandcamp here!

Picture
Space Caravan - Space Caravan
​(Independently Released)

It simply wouldn't be a Friday here at the Sleeping Village 
without a lil' stoner rock. Space Caravan, a crew of riff-worshipers straight outta 
Phoenixville PA, don't deliver the most innovative goods, but the goods themselves are...well, quite good! There's a definite Orange Goblin-by-way-of-Cathedral aesthetic, topped off with a delicious cosmic + biker vibe. The grooves and riffs contained herein are potent as ye might expect, and the vocals, while perhaps a little gruff and unpolished for everyone's liking, suit the rough 'n' tumble feel of the tunes quite well. If you're looking to sample, I recommend the riff-tastic "Black Kraken" as a general overview of what these hard rockin' fellas have to offer.

Find it on bandcamp here!


Read More
0 Comments

FRESH MEAT FRIDAY - July 17th, 2020

7/17/2020

0 Comments

 
Every Friday, a wagon arrives at the Sleeping Village’s crumbling gates, stuffed to the brim with our sustenance for the following week. Today is the day we must offload all this new music, and so, in the process, we thought it would be worthwhile to share some of our choice picks from this veritable mass of fresh meat. This is what we’ll be--and have been--listening to today here at the Village HQ. We hope you join us in doing so! 
On the docket for today, July 17th, 2020:
Väki, Eremit, Entry, and deathnoisefrequency

Picture
Väki - Kuolleen Maan Omaksi ​
(Redefining Darkness Records)

The illustrious Redefining Darkness deals pretty exclusively in gritty and grimy death metal, so (on the rare occasion) when they dip their toes into blackened waters, you know the album/artist in question is exceedingly worthwhile. This is certainly the case for the Finnish Väki, who present a delicious brand of chaos-ridden black metal that recalls The Great Old Ones in its telltale complex frenzy. There's a distinct focus on oppressive atmosphere throughout, with little attention given to pleasing melodic or earwormy hooks--despite an admitted penchant for muscular riffage amidst the fray. This album is equally explosive and introspective, and every listen reveals an additional layer of complexity. A must for those in search of quality chaotic black metal...but perhaps not an album intended to entice newcomers into the darkness.

Find it on bandcamp here!

Picture
Eremit - Desert of Ghouls ​
(Transcending Obscurity)

Eremit--Germany's heaviest doom duo
--are swiftly becoming masters in their own right when it comes to delivering crushing-yet-atmospheric-sludge. Desert of Ghouls ​is a beast unto itself--easily their most ambitious and technically adept accomplishment yet. The behemothian bass tone is utterly sasquatchian. The drums are forceful and present. The compositions are dynamic and dexterous, at times reaching a near-hypnotic cadence. Sludge lives and dies by an ability to maintain interest, and here, Eremit's songwriting abilities clearly enhance the two tracks beyond the sum of their sonic parts. If you're looking to sample...I recommedn you just listen to the whole damn thing. "Beheading The Innumerous" is plodding and pummeling, whereas "City of Râsh-il-nûm" is more progressive and exploratory. Both are, I humbly submit, essential listening.

​Find it on bandcamp here!


Read More
0 Comments

FRESH MEAT FRIDAY...erm, SATURDAY: July 4th, 2020

7/2/2020

0 Comments

 
Every Friday--in today's case, Saturday--a wagon arrives at the Sleeping Village’s gates, stuffed to the brim with our sustenance for the following week. Today is the day we must offload all this new music, and so, in the process, we thought it would be worthwhile to share some of our choice picks from this veritable mass of fresh meat. This is what we’ll be listening to today here at the Village HQ. We hope you join us in doing so! 

​​On the docket for today, July 4th, 2020: 
​Ancient Hand, Northern Crown
, Gramma Vedetta, and Pale Witch

Picture
Ancient Hand - Best regards,
​(Independent Release)

If you follow our shenanigans on Instagram, you may be aware of (unsubstantiated) rumors that I have accepted a sizeable bribe in exchange for this review. Let me dispel said rumor thusly: I love Ancient Hand's body of work, and Best regards, is his best work yet by a significant margin. Moving away from dungeon synth roots and into increasingly experimentally turbulent waters, this album is a wholly heartfelt exploration of pain, anger, and inevitable catharsis. Sonically, Ancient Hand embraces a palette of heft and aggression, moving into the arenas of dark(er), ambient, boom-bappy hip-hop beats, industrial noise, and EDM. It's a dynamic approach, and one that oozes emotive results--from the hard-hitting "metacognition" and "ORAL," to the reflective Interludes I & II, the intent is clear--but yet remains a joy to experience. 


Find it at bandcamp here (for NYOP!)

Picture
Northern Crown – In A Pallid Shadow
(Independent Release)

This album, I am pleased to report, has been quite the grower. Occupying a strange space between, the respective mid-eras of Candlemass and Kansas, In A Pallid Shadow takes the traditional epic doom template and amps it up with a significant prog-rock extravagance. One wouldn’t think that the flair of the former former would benefit from, well, the flair of the latter, but here, Northern Crown have found a delicate balance that works remarkably well. Besides the tasteful application of the standard Hammond fare, the vocals are powerful and emotive, and the songwriting, while certainly not trim or restrained, feels meaningful and well-considered throughout the (pleasingly short) breadth. All told, this is an excellent album—almost certainly a candidate for many a doom-laden year end list.

Find it at bandcamp here!
​



Read More
0 Comments

Bandcamp Day Donation Roundup

6/4/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
On a typical Friday, we Sleeping Villagers spend some time looking over new releases. Today, however, is not a typical Friday. Instead, we are opting to focus entirely on bands that are donating today's proceeds to bail funds, mutual aids, and other organizations working hard to bring positive change and assistance to black individuals and communities, who, (as you are hopefully all aware,) are disproportionately impacted by police brutality and racist institutional oppression. Bandcamp is not taking a cut of sales today, so all proceeds will go directly to artists--and, in turn, into the hands of organizations that can turn dollars into action. 

If you're looking to donate directly to a bail fund working to support jailed protesters, either in your city or in cities heavily impacted by police brutality and wanton arrest during this past week of demonstrations, here is a link. 


Read More
0 Comments

    Welcome!

    We provide thoughtful reviews of music that is heavy, gloomy...and loud enough to wake us from slumber. Written by a highfalutin peasantry.

    What are ye

    looking for?

    All
    Acoustic
    Alt Metal
    Alt Rock
    Ambient
    Ancienthand
    Ancient Hand
    Atmospheric Black Metal
    Avant Garde
    Band Bio
    Band Bios
    Bandcamp Day
    Band Help
    Blackened Death Metal
    Blackened Doom
    Blackened Thrash
    Black Metal
    Black Sabbath
    Brutal Death Metal
    Chaotic Black Metal
    Charity
    Classic Rock
    Compilation
    Concept Album
    Cover Songs
    Crossover Thrash
    Dark Ambient
    Dark Folk
    Dark Metal
    Deathcore
    Death Doom
    Deathgrind
    Death Metal
    Depressive Black Metal
    Devin Townsend Project
    DIY
    Doom
    Doom Metal
    Dungeon Synth
    Epic Doom
    Epic Metal
    Experimental
    Experimental Electronic
    Extreme Metal
    Fresh Meat Friday
    Goregrind
    Gothic
    Gothic Metal
    Grind
    Grindcore
    Groove Metal
    Hardcore
    Hardcore Punk
    Hard Rock
    Heavy Grinder
    Heavy Metal
    Heavy Psych
    Industrial
    Let Go
    Loveloth
    Melodic Black Metal
    Metal
    Metalcore
    Metallic Hardcore
    Metal Reviews
    Music Video
    New Music
    Noise
    Noise Rock
    Nwobhm
    Old School Death Metal
    On The Horizon
    Open The Coffers!
    Osdm
    Pop
    Pop Punk
    Post Metal
    Post-metal
    Post Rock
    Post-rock
    Power Metal
    Press Kits
    Proceeds Donated
    Progressive Death Metal
    Progressive Metal
    Psych Rock
    Punk
    Rap Metal
    Redefining Darkness
    Refusing To Let Go
    Release Day Roundup
    Retrospective
    Review Miniseries
    Rock
    Sabbath Sunday
    Samples
    Science
    Shoegaze
    Slam
    Sleeping Village Presents
    Sleeping Village Sampler
    Sludge
    Sludge Metal
    Speed Metal
    Spotify Playlist
    Stoner
    Stoner Metal
    Stoner Rock
    Submission Guidelines
    Symphonic Metal
    Techdeath
    Technical Death Metal
    The Voiceless Apparition
    Thrash
    Tips And Tricks
    Trad Metal
    Village Crypt
    Volt Thrower
    Weird

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • REVIEWS & PREMIERES
  • ARCHIVES
    • OLDE REVIEWS
    • OLDE INTERVIEWS
    • OLDE FEATURES
    • OLDE PREMIERES
  • SUBMIT FOR REVIEW!